Solarcentury to install Commercial Roof in The Netherlands

Solarcentury has been chosen to install a large scale, commercial solar PV system for The Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) based in Wageningen, The Netherlands.

In coming weeks, Solarcentury Benelux will install a significant 322k Wp solar roof system that will produce an estimated 280,000 kWh per year, representing one of the largest solar PV systems in The Netherlands.

MARIN is committed to pursuing sustainability initiatives that help to green its operations whilst reducing energy bills, so using solar to help meet its base load energy needs was an obvious decision.

Stephan Brinkmann, controller at MARIN said, “Generating part of our energy needs from a sustainable, clean energy source is a priority for us and we know it’s important to our employees and customers. We are taking a bold approach to our organisation’s sustainability programme which is why we’re making this investment, using solar to help meet our energy needs.”

In choosing to work with Solarcentury, MARIN was assisted by the Wageningen consulting firm E4S Consult which provided expertise during the tender process, and Solar Energy Foundation Wageningen.

Dennis de Jong, country manager of Solarcentury Benelux said, “As well as cutting carbon emissions and its energy bills, MARIN will also benefit from reputational gains as choosing to install solar demonstrates its genuine commitment to helping the environment. We are delighted to be chosen as the partner for the project; Solarcentury’s experience of completing large-scale commercial solar projects in the UK and abroad, combined with the expertise of Solarcentury’s Dutch solar team in countries like Germany and Belgium, means that this is the type of large and complicated systems at which we excel.”

Spreading solar benefits to local customers
MARIN and the Solar Eneregy Foundation Wageningen are also considering a second solar system on the roof of MARIN in Wageningen. Project manager Rogier Coenraads from the Solar Eneregy Foundation Wageningen explained, “We are working with MARIN to explore whether it is technically, financially and legally feasible to realise a second solar PV installation that supplies energy directly to local customers, such as those sited in several apartment complexes near MARIN. The feasibility study is currently being conducted by KEMA and Qing.”